Sir, – Compare and contrast the illusory vision of Grant Frazer and the objective clarity provided by Scott Crichton Styles in his valid Opinion article – pure pie in the sky contrasted with legal practical reality.
Does Scotland’s “democracy” really need to be renewed or is this just Nicola Sturgeon once again stirring the latest “SNP grievance” pot as part of her many political ploys to wind up her party.
The United Kingdom is one of the oldest democracies in existence that has evolved very effectively while respecting all parts of the UK. This has enabled the agreed contract to continue.
It should be appreciated that there are very many different varieties of democracy in existence.
You cannot just opt in or opt out whenever you like.
The Scottish Parliament agreed to the legal Union that took place in 1707 as an incorporating Union. The Scottish and English Parliaments both ceased to exist.
They were replaced by the new Parliament of Great Britain otherwise known as Westminster where control of section 30 orders remains firmly and legally in place no matter what imaginary nonsense comes from Nicola Sturgeon.
The population sizes of the four nations are clearly dominated by the English population. Is this any different to the effective relative dominant influence of Glasgow and Edinburgh over the rest of Scotland within the devolved Scottish Parliament?
The change to independence needs great care and popular agreement by both governments and a convincing majority.
David Philip, Knockhall Way, Newburgh.
Do we really need foreign holidays?
Sir, – With the school holidays beginning many families are panicking about whether their holiday flights will be going ahead amid strikes and cancellations.
Now we read BA alone have cancelled more than 10,000 flights over the coming months from Heathrow and Gatwick.
As the southern part of the UK swelters in abnormally high temperatures should we not be overjoyed by the news that as a result fewer noxious gases will enter the atmosphere?
Only if we can change the way we love to live our lives, with unnecessary travel deemed just that, can we ever hope to leave a land habitable for future generations.
As parts of Europe burn, the flames are in part the result of ignoring repeated warnings that we have entered the last chance saloon to save areas of our world we cherish as a paradise.
Life can no longer be lived with abandonment of responsibility, by kicking the can down the road for future generations to take action.
For them it will be too late, many more areas of the planet burning or being enveloped in the ever- rising waters of the oceans. France, Spain and Portugal are not the only ones to burn, Bangladesh not the only one to drown.
Ivan W. Reid, Kirkburn, Laurencekirk.
Blackford could use his time better
Sir, – The problem with Ian Blackford’s rants is that they have no purpose other than being rude.
He could better serve his party by using parliamentary time to outline Scotland’s plans for its independent future, and dispel doubts expressed about the Scottish economic deficit, and matters such as an independent currency.
As a piece of parliamentary courtesy, he could also take time to thank Westminster for Scotland’s Covid assistance.
Politeness gains a listening and sympathetic ear.
Malcolm Parkin, Kinnesswood, Kinross.
Importance of cutting carbon
Sir, – The need to cut carbon emissions has never been more important, and it is Britain’s industrial heartlands that hold the key to this challenge.
Industries such as metals, chemicals, food and drink, paper and pulp, ceramics, glass and oil refining account for around one sixth of UK emissions. The industrial clusters of Humber, the Black Country, South Wales, Scotland, Teesside, north-west England and the Solent are therefore pivotal in reaching net-zero by 2050.
These regions are also essential for our economy, contributing £170 billion each year and providing 2.6 million jobs, so their decarbonisation must be planned and delivered with great care.
My organisation, IDRIC, is the national focal point and international gateway for industrial decarbonisation research and innovation.
Funded by UKRI, the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation, we are supporting the effort under way in industrial regions by bringing together universities and businesses, nurturing talent, sharing knowledge and providing evidence for decision-makers.
The types of jobs we can expect to see created as we decarbonise include mechanical, electrical and chemical engineers, project managers, hydrogen cell technicians, carbon monitoring technicians, pipeline fitters and designers. These are all high-quality, highly-skilled careers.
By tackling decarbonisation from all angles – from addressing scientific, technical and economic challenges to understanding the social impacts on communities – we can help Britain’s industrial heartlands go faster and further on this vital journey.
To stay up-to-date with what is happening, please visit idric.org
Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, Director of IDRIC (Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre). Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Sunak is the best PM contender
Sir, – There have been 13 prime ministers in my lifetime.
In the absence of Hunt, Gove and Javid, the only one on view in Friday’s debate who looked like PM material was Rishi Sunak.
He even admitted government help, such as £1,200 for the most vulnerable, can’t solve all cost of living problems.
Mind you, he didn’t remind us of the real looming disaster: when inflation was over 10% in the 80s, mortgage rates peaked at 15%.
In these days of average £135k mortgages, £225K house prices and 2% interest rates, that means monthly interest payments rising from £300 to £1,700.
But neither has any politician, including his rivals whose “I feel your pain, let me prove it by telling you what your pain is” piety and “I can fix this. Here’s – sort of – how” claims were vague and patronising.
The main attacks on Sunak seem to come from diehards in denial that Boris had to go, and see Sunak as chief knife-wielder, and accusations that he is soft on indy compared to Truss or Mordaunt.
Scotland needs more than “Yellow Wall” bribes and “now is not the time” put- downs .
The next UK PM should be like the tide lifting all economic, job and trade boats across the UK, showing Scots that it’s the place to be and galvanising his plodding Scottish party to create health, education, housing, local government and transport policies that win elections. And, along with Labour and Lib Dems, turfing the SNP out of Westminster, Holyrood and councils.
It’s a “big ask” of any politician, especially when many of our problems are of our own social and cultural making.
I don’t care what the next PM’s colour, class, religion, sex, bank balance or party is. But I do I think Rishi Sunak is the best contender currently on display.
Allan Sutherland, Willow Row, Stonehaven.
Has city missed tourism chance?
Sir – Some time ago an article in The Press and Journal by George Simpson proposed an oilrig tourist attraction as part of the history of oil and of Aberdeen. I see that Weston-Super-Mare have done just that for their town, albeit for an art installation.
Is Aberdeen going to miss this opportunity to bolster tourist sites in the same way as they did with the Eden Project attraction which went to Dundee?
WHC Richmond, Kirkton of Durris, Banchory.
Tap water should be first choice
Sir – Keeping hydrated in this heatwave is very important, especially for the elderly! Statistics revealed four million of us have not drunk water in over a week.
The daily recommended intake for adults is 2 litres, 1.8 for teenagers and 1.3 for children.
Children and teenagers drink only two small glasses of water, replacing it with mainly fizzy pop, according to a UK survey.
With adults downing more alcohol than water, GPs are seeing people who are simply dehydrated, causing tiredness and reduced alertness.
Water is the healthiest way to hydrate. It energises us and it’s free!
Tap water should always be the first choice to quench our thirst.
So drink drink drink!
T. Shirron, Davidson Drive, Aberdeen
Centuries of fouling the air
Sir – There have been many notable technological achievements by mankind over the past 50 years.
From the late ’50s we witnessed moon landings, dispatching manned and unmanned craft into space for periods of time and even guiding spacecraft to comets to retrieve ice samples from these heavenly bodies.
More recently we have had feedback from the James Webb infra-red telescope delving back aeons in time to enable us to learn more about our past.
All very grand and headline- grabbing, but back to reality where we Earthlings are struggling to cope with extremely scorching weather. An everyday, what would appear to be straightforward problem is causing disruption in almost every walk of life.
An example is the danger of rail tracks buckling in the extreme heat. Our engineers have always been aware of this happening but when it does there is no quick-fix answer and tens of thousands of commuters have to suffer travel delays and cancellations to their daily travel plans.
Even road transport drivers experience higher than normal problems, with call-outs for assistance to motoring organisations increasing by anything up to 25%.
Much of this has to be down to drivers not taking into account that even machines can suffer if not driven in a manner to cope with the prevailing weather conditions.
The weather is the most talked-about everyday topic, from flooding disasters, drought, tornados and, currently, extreme heat.
Everyone seems to blame “climate change” but let us not forget how the air in the United Kingdom was contaminated, without precedent, during the Victorian era when thousands of industrial chimney stacks spewed out filth.
The aftermath is something I believe we are still suffering to this day. Of course, I am ever mindful of current “climate change” but how far into the future will our current contribution to “fouling” the air affect our posterity?
TF